Drive Suits

Drive Suits were wearable, drivable vehicle costumes that let a person transform into a Transformer-style robot and actually move around at low speeds, like a real-life version of the toy and movie robots. The creator was Drew Beaumier of Burbank, California, a maker and performer who engineered the suits to convert between robot and vehicle modes with the wearer inside.

Beaumier asked for 150,000 dollars for 20 percent and made an unforgettable entrance by driving into the room wearing one of his suits. The sharks were entertained by the showmanship but unsure how to turn a costume into a scalable business. Kevin O'Leary saw a licensing angle toward major toy makers and offered 150,000 dollars for 30 percent, which Beaumier accepted.

Drive Suits stood out almost entirely on spectacle. The live, drivable transformation was one of the more theatrical demos in the season, and Beaumier's engineering and performance background made the product feel like part invention, part live entertainment, which is exactly the direction it would later take.

Kevin O'Leary's deal did not end up closing, but Beaumier leaned into the entertainment side of the business. Rather than selling suits to consumers, he kept developing the technology and built the brand around live appearances and media attention, where the drivable robot costumes had the most obvious value.

The venture continued under a new banner, with Beaumier operating an events and entertainment company that hires out the robot and vehicle suits for commercial events, promotions, and appearances. The suits are generally not sold to the public; instead the business books them for paid gigs, which has kept the concept active.